Should the U.S. send more troops to the Middle East and finish the job, or should we pull them out?
I think that we should send more troops if President Bush thinks it neccessary. I believe that he knows what's best in that situation becuase he looks to God for guidance. It seems like Iraq is getting pretty strange lately and that things might be getting worse. This means that we might need to take more action or we might need to pull out. I don't really now, I'm not person to mkae the decision.
-ML
I, frankly, do not know enough on exactly what is going on in Iraq and what the current plan of action is to make a legitimate statement on this, I did not; however, support the US sending troops to Iraq in the first place, but now it seems as if we're stuck. If we send more troops it might continue to stir up the radical forces in Iraq instead of suppressing them, if we don't send any more troops or take any away we won't have enough to do the job we had hoped to do, and if we pull out our troops the Iraqis could fall and the radical groups could take over once again. It's a sticky situation, and I would have to say bring as many of our troops home as we can and still be able to exit Iraq safely and do our job there. I also think that we need to stand beside our government on their plans for the war as arguing and bickering will only cause disloyalty to the country and more problems overseas. More planning should have been done before we went into Iraq - we needed to have an exit strategy before we went in.
–MW
I think there are good and bad things about pulling troops out of the Middle East. Good aspects are being able to bring our troops home and not have to worry about any more deaths. Bad aspects though are that we should try to finish what we started and try to keep improving the quality of life in the Middle East. I do believe that we should not keep sending troops over there though.
~AP
My beliefs on this issue are on the Republican side. I believe that it is a good idea that we are sending troops into Iraq. Many people think that we should just quit and pull them out of Iraq because many lives are being lost. But, if you think about it, not many lives are being lost. There have only been about 3,000 deaths total in Iraq and Afghanistan. But, in other wars like World War II, that many lives were being lost per battle. I am not saying that I do not care about these lives that are being lost. I am saying that these people are doing a very great thing in trying to help our country and promote our freedom. Many people want it both ways. They want complete freedom and independence, and they don't want to have the War in Iraq. You can't have it both ways. We need to continue helping there until we are done. That is the only way for us to have freedom and be done in Iraq. I think that if there are enough people willing to be in the military and willing to fight for our rights, then it is great for us to send more troops into Iraq.
-MS
I think that we should gradually pull troops out of Iraq gradually, but not too quickly. We shouldn't send any more troops to Iraq because we don't need more troops there right now. I do know that we shouldn't pull troops out of Iraq too quickly because Iraqis and their government aren't stable yet. If we pull out too quickly, Iraq won't be much better off than they were before the U.S. came to help.
-AO
I think that the U.S. shouldn’t put all of the troops in Iraq because I don’t think we don’t need to be in there with full force. I do think that we should keep some of the troops in Iraq because without them Iraq would be in a civil war and totally falling apart. If the U.S. put all of the troops in Iraq the U.S. would be very vonerable if the terrorists were to launch a attack on the mainland and we would be sitting ducks and we would have no way to fight back because we would have no one left to help.
-JH
I think that the U.S. should pull out the troops that we have over there little by little so that Iraq can start to get used to the U.S. not being around. If we were to pull out all of our troops at once Iraq would go down hill very quickly. Were over there to help them get back on their feet. We need to stay until our job is done and if that means sending more troops over to Iraq then so be it.
~KS
I think that we should let the troops stay in Iraq and do what they need to do. I mean we think we know all the answers and exactly what to do in this situation but really we only know a small part of the situation and I think we should respect the decisions made by the president and the secretary of defense because they have studied this and know a lot about it. Bob Gates, the secretary of defense, has visited with the head military people and listened to them to see what they thought was best he was also in the Iraq study group and knows a lot from that to. So I think if those two officials think that staying in Iraq is best then lets do that. I also think that we should stay in because if we back out now the terrorist will think that they have won and we will then be prone to terrorist attacks.
– SS
I think that it is good that we are sending troops into Iraq because I think that if we pulled out the troops now, Iraq would go into a big depression and the extremists in that country would take over and they might end up right where they started. I don’t think that we should just pull out now because all of the sacrifices that those soldiers that died have made would go to waste. So basically going into Iraq in the first place would have been pointless. I think it is doing a favor to the Iraqi people right now with us being in Iraq. Even if they don’t think so, I think we are helping them in at least trying to basically rebuild their whole lives again.
-NR
I think that the U.S. should not pull the troops out of Iraq. I think this becuase i feel that it is our troops that are helping the Iraq people, by supplying them with food and clothing. I do think though that we should not send any more troops to Iraq. I feel that we have already sent enough troops over there.
~KH~
I think that we should stay in Iraq to finish what we started because if we take the troops out now then we will be hit with another terrorist attack like September 11. And if we pull out now then the Iraqis will break out into a bigger war then it already is and then we will probably have more situations like September 11th.
-AC
From all the stuff I've been hearing and such from Iraq I think we should send more troops and finish. I think we should try to finish what we started and help the Middle Easterns. Maybe it wasn't right to enter Iraq right now but any later and it could of been really bad. I do think we should leave but I think we should leave the honorable way and not having the soldiers who have died there already to have died for nothing but died for something they knew was right and can still be succesful.
-SB
I think that we should still send troops into Iraq. We should send a little in at a time. I also think that we should finish what we started. If we pull our troops out now then Iraq would just be a mess and everything would go wrong there. Part of the reason we went there and stayed there was to help them get their country together and I think we should finish doing that.
~LB
I feel that we need to finish the war in Iraq because at this point we are in there for the well being of the Iraqi people. I feel that if we were to take our troops out of Iraq it would not end up good for the people of Iraq. In this instance if you were to remember what Kirk had in his political cartoon I feel that that is what might happen. Now I don’t know for sure what would happen and from a Christian stand point I know that whatever was to happen would happen for a reason but I still think that we should leave our troops in there and finish the job. I don’t really like the idea of send more troops in necessarily but if that is what it takes for us to finish then I think that we should do so. I also think that we should all just support our government’s decisions in this time of the war.
~SH~
The situation in Iraq is a sticky one indeed. I personally think that we should not have sent any troops in the first place, but we did and there is no easy way out. I feel that we are no longer in Iraq to win, rather we are there to secure Baghdad. Sending so many more troops only puts more soldiers in danger. I think we need to finish the job, but not just for our own sake.
I am not the most knowledgeable on this subject, but I do think that it wasn't neccesary to send more troops to Iraq. I think we could have secured Baghdad as well as finish the job with what we had.
-AH
I don't think the U.S. should pull out the troops in Iraq, because a lot of soldiers have already died for the cause and if we quit now, that would mean that they died for no reason. The troops are also in there trying to make a government for the people of Iraq, and it would just fall apart with out our troops there. I don't think, however, that President Bush should send more troops into Iraq. I think that there are already enough troops there.
-KW
If you were the president during the War of 1812, what changes would you have made to help the war?
If I were the President during the War of 1812 the changes I would have made was that I wouldn't let the war happen or try even to get invovled in any war. I say this because our country was very weak at this time and they did not need to be in another war with Great Britian because we were just hurting ourselves. I would have tried to settle a peace agreement or something that would say that Britian cannot attack the U.S.
~JH~
If I were the President during the War of 1812, I would have attempted to get the people of the United States to support the war. That was a huge problem in the War of 1812 up until about 1814. I think that it was good that the U.S. went to war because the British and French were not allowing the U.S. to trade neutrally with the other country, the British were impressing the U.S. ships, and the British were supporting the Native Americans in not letting the U.S. settle on western territory, which by agreement with Britain belonged to the U.S.
-NR
If I were a President during the War of 1812 the changes that i would of made were that i would of tryed really hard not to even get involved with any war. By making this decision I think that i would of saved the country from first the death of many people, and secondly I think that i would of saved our country alot of money. Our country was very weak at the time, and we did not have that good of supplies.
-KH
If you had lived in the United States in the 1790s, which political party, the Federalists or the Republicans, would you have been more likely to join? Why?
I would be a federalist. They had really good ideas and helped our country grow. The Republicans back in the 1780's were more like present day Democrats which I do not agree with.
-KB
If I were a presedent in the 1790's I would probly be a Federalist. Because the ideas that they had were good ideas to get the country off to a good start.
-AC
I think I would be a Federalist. I believe that a strong central government is key to a healthy country. The one thing that I would disagree with about the Federalists is support of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
~AP
I would have supported the Federalists, as they supported industry, and industry was an important factor in the development and survival of our country. However, I would probably have later supported the Republicans, because of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
~MG
If I had lived during the 1790's I would have been more likely to join the Federalists because of many things. I support a strong central government, not necessarily very strong state governments or state powers. This is because I believe that we need to have a strong and powerful central government for our country to continue on as it is. I especially would have thought this during the 1790's because that was the most vulnerable time for our country and it needed to have a strong federal government in order to survive. I also support industry and, looking back into history, would have supported the northern ideas more often than the southern ideas. Also, I would support them because of their loose construction beliefs. After the Alien and Sedition Acts I would have probably started to support the Republicans more.
-MW
I would have been more likely to be a Federalist. The Federalists back then are most like the Republicans now. I believe more in what the Republicans believe today then the Democrats. I agree in an industrial economy for the U.S. I do believe that there should be a strong central government. However, I do not believe in government intervention.
-MS
I would be more likely to join the Federalists because I think that industry is the best way to make money for the nation. We shouldn't depend too heavily on agriculture because we don't know when a drought is coming or when the land might run out of nutrients. We have found ways to rotate crops to prevent this, but our whole economy shouldn't rely on agriculture. Another reason I would join the Federalists is because I believe in a stronger central government.
-AO
I would have lived in the 1970's I would most likely have been a Federalsit. I would have been a Federalsit because they believed in a strong central government. Our countrty would fall apart without the strong central government that we have today. The Federalists also believed in idustry which is a very important money maker for our country today.
~KS
If I lived in the 1790s I think I would have probably been a Federalist because industry is a very important part of our country. If our country was totally based on agriculture then if there was a major drought then the food and economy could be lost and go into a huge depression. I might have later became a Republican because of the Alien and Sedition Acts. I do like the idea of a strong central government which the Federalists believed.
-NR
If I had lived in the 1790's I would probalby be on the federalist's side. I would be on this side because I like the fact that they are based on industry. I feel that industry is the main reason of how we get all of our money today. I also like the fact that they believe in a stronger central government.
~KH~
I would probably be in the Federalist Party. I would be in there because the Federalists were more like the Republicans of today. A lot of their views were similar. Also I believe more in an industrial economy. I am a Republican now so I would have been a Federalist back then. ~LB
If I were to live in the 1790’s I would have most likely joined the Federalists. There are many reasons behind this and one big thing is that they support a strong central government. Also the Federalists of that time were more like the Republicans of this time and I am a Republican. I do not agree with the Alien and Sedition Acts however.
~SH~
If I were to live in the 1790's I would have probably joined the Federalist party. I say this because I think they have excellent ideas and the most important thing that I thought of was that they support a strong central governement. I also like that they lean more to the industrial side of the U.S. Industry was and still is a very big part of the U.S. and that is also why I lean more to the Federalists side and without industry I don't know where and how we would be like today. We would probably be a totally different nation without the industry we had back in the day.
~JH~
I would probably have been a Federalist, because I agree on most of their ideas. A strong central government is important. They support industry and so do I.
-ZL
If you could add one amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what would it be? Why?
If I could add an amendment to the Constitution, I would add one that made the nation vote before we go into a war. I think this would be a good amendment because if no one would want to support a war, why would we even go into one? However if people thought it was for a good purpose, then we would be more willing to fight.
~EL
I would add an amendment that prohibits the teachings of evolution. Why? There isn't enough information to back it up, and it is still just a theory, also a lot of what evolutionists teach takes faith to believe, which could also classify it as a religion. Religions are not allowed in school, which brings me to the question: if evolution is allowed in schools, why isn't Christianity?
~MG
If I could make an amendment to the Constitution, I wouldn’t allow Evolution to be taught in schools as fact. It should be taught so kids know what it is and they know why it isn’t real because there isn’t enough factual information to back its “theory” up. I would also allow kids to express their freedom of religion in public schools. We have the freedom of religion so it should be allowed.
-ZL
If I could make an amendment, I would make abortion illegal. It is only right if the mother's life is in danger, because two lives would be lost instead of just the baby. On the other hand, the baby's life is more important than just the mother's lifestyle.
-BU
If I could make an amendment to the constitution it would be that gay marriages should be illegal in all states. I think that marriage should be between a man and a woman not the same gender. People say its ok but it shouldn't be because than the kids of won't think that its wrong and will support it instead of fighting it.
-AC
If I could make one admendment to the constitution it would be that religion would be allowed in schools.I think that it's important that kids can pray whenever and wherever they want.
-LB
If I could make an amendment to the U.S. Constitution it would be to make abortion illegal. Unborn babies start their lives at conception and it is murder to have an abortion. Families that have abortions are more likely to have divorces and suicide. All around abortion is a bad thing for families.
~AP
If I could add an amendment to the Constitution it would be make all alcohol and drugs illegal. People don't realize what these things do. Alcohol is just as damaging as marijuana is and many people think that one is "better" or "safer" than the other. These items drive users to their deaths as well as the people around them. They also lead to emotional and physical abuse to both the users and other people.
-AH
If I could add an amendment to the constitution it would be one that made the country vote before going to war. Even if the whole country didn’t vote, just state representatives and governments, it would still give us a better idea of if war was going to be the best plan of action. In extreme cases I would include a system where if our federal government saw it absolutely necessary to go to war they could override the majority vote, but only by a majority vote in the Senate and House of Representatives and the President’s assent.
-MW
If I could add one amendment to the Constitution I would make abortion illegal. Human life starts at conception not at birth when the baby takes it first breath on its own. In our country murder is illegal and that’s exactly what abortion does it murders innocent babies. Abortion is murder and should be illegal. The only time that abortion would be ok would be if the mother’s life is at stake during the pregnancy.
~KS
If I could add one amendment to the U.S. Constitution, it would be an amendment that prohibits gay marriages. God clearly says that marriage should be between a man and a woman, not between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. Like I have heard before, God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. I personally think that is a funny saying but it is true.
-NR
If I could add one amendment to the constitution, I would make it illegal to teach evolution in schools. I think that kids should know about it, but they shouldn’t be taught that it is true. The kids should be able to decide on their own if they want to believe in evolution or not.
-KW
If I could add one amendment to the constitution I would make abortion illegal. I think that it is wrong to kill the baby. I feel that it was the parents fault and not the kids so why should they have to suffer.
~KH~
If I could add one amendment to the Constitution, it would make gay marriages illegal. The Bible clearly states that marriage is to be between one man and one woman, and what God says is the last word on all issues. This issue is an important test of our nations morals. Making gay marriage legal would not give Americans a good name throughout the rest of the world. I think that we should set a good example for some of the countries that are less stable than the U.S. (i.e. Iraq). Making gay marriage legal would not give Americans a good name.
-AO
I agree with all of the other things said, but I think that the most important amendment to be added to the Constitution would be to make abortion illegal. It is not right to kill an innocent life. Yes, the baby IS alive in its mother’s stomach. It doesn’t become alive when it comes out. It is a very terrible thing that God does not like at all. The mom made the mistake if she didn’t want to have a baby, so it should be her problem to put the baby up for adoption when it’s born. The baby shouldn’t have to suffer.
-MS
If I could add one amendment to the Constitution I would have to agree with Kelsey Hizer. I would say that Abortion should be illegal. I feel that it is not at all the baby’s fault that the parents made a bad decision and I feel that the parents should have to pay for their decision and learn to be more responsible. Also from more of a Christian standpoint we know that God made the women pregnant for a reason and for the parents of that child to try and mess up God’s plan I don’t think that is ok.
~SH~
If i could add one ammendment to the constitution it would have to be,to abolish gay marrige or anything like that. First of all it is extremely gross and i think it even gives the U.S. a bad name.
~JH~
What is the greatest asset of the United States or its greatest quality as a nation?
The Greatest quality of the US is our ability to come together as a nation in times of crises. I.E. 9/11/01 or Hurricane Katrina. Even though a lot of the time our nation seems to be divided with elections or war, we can and will join to help our fellow man.
-KB
I think that the greatest asset or quality of the United States is freedom. It is really good that we have freedom of speech and religion. Also, I think that if we were controlled by a monarch of some kind today, our nation would not be nearly as strong or as stable as it is today. I think that it is good that we can vote for who is in our government and that someone is not just "put" into office, who doesn't know what they are doing or anything about our nation.
-NR
I think that the greatest asset of the United States is our freedom. We have freedom of speech and religion. Because of this, we have a very safe and stable country. We are not ruled by a monarch or dictator. We have a very good, stable, and developed government. Changes are constantly being made to make our country the best that we can.
-MS
The greatest asset is our freedom and our say in goverment. Also we have a strong goverment, military, and economy. We are very fortunate in the United States. We have lots of things that many countries around the world do not. Also our country is safe and stable. Another thing is that we have a say in our goverment and can vote on our officials.
-LB
Freedom is our biggest asset as a nation. Without it we would be in the hands of Britian, and perhaps the world would be missing many inventions we have now. Many things would not be possible today without our freedom.
~MG
I think that one of the greatest assets of the United States is the system of checks and balances. The government of the United States is unique and with this system, no part of the government can be greater than the others, or make really bad decisions that no one in the country will like, because one part of the government will have to agree with another to get something done.
I think that another good quality of the United States was the founding fathers’ ability to compromise. Without it, no one in the United States would agree with any aspect of the government. There is still disagreement today, but with the compromises, they found ways to have the government so that everyone could have part of what they wanted.
-BU
The greatest asset that our country has, in my opinion, is our freedom of speech. Our freedom of speech has allowed us to maintain a system of government in which the citizens have just as many rights as everybody else. We get to elect ordinary people into offices of power so they will be able to serve us as a nation. This unique system gives us an advantage over most other governments.
-MW
The greatest asset of the U.S. is our freedom. It is the best thing that any nation could want. We also have a strong army for keeping us safe from all of the terrorists in the world. We also have freedom of religon. In most countries you can get excluded from society because of the things you may or may not believe. In the U.S. you can believe anything you want and that in itself is pretty amazing.
-JH
I believe our greatest asset is the way our government works. We can elect the people that we want to represent us to positions of power so that we can get our needs heard in our government. Our freedom of speech is helpful for us in keeping a strong government, even if there is a lot of internal disagreement.
~AP
In my opinion, the greatest asset of the United States in freedom. The reason that I feel the way I do about this is because, as a christian, I need freedom of religon so I can learn more about Christ and so I can spread His word. Also, it is a great thing to have freedom of speech so we can have a say in our government and we can vote for the things that we feel will have a good impact on our nation.
~SH~
I think that our greatest asset as a country is freedom. Freedom branches off in many directions. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, as well as many others. My life as an individual would be entirely different if we didn't have freedom. I wouldn't be at this school and I might have had a different religion. We are a very diverse country, not only in people, but also in opinion and beliefs.
-AH
I think that our greatest asset as a country is our strong government. The founding fathers at the Constitutional Convention did a really good job of making sure that no one person could take over the whole country. The United States' system of checks and balances was a really good idea. I don't think that our country would be as strong today if it weren't for the checks and balances.
-AO
I think that the greatest asset of the U.S. is freedom. Freedom is the reason our country started. Our founding fathers didn’t like being controlled by someone else and not having anything to say about it. Today we have freedom speech, religion, and etc. Back then we had to do whatever the King or Parliament wanted. Many people come to the U.S. to have that freedom. People come here illegally, because they want freedom so bad. We are very lucky for what we have.
-ZL
I think that the greatest asset of the U.S. is our strong government. Our founding fathers did a really good job to make sure that no one branch of the government was more powerful then the other. The idea of having a checks and balances system, to make sure that all of the branches are doing their job, I think was a really good idea. I think that if we didn't have a strong government, our country would not be as strong as it is today.
-KH
I think that the greatest asset of the U.S. is the strong military. Our military has fought many wars and is the greatest military of the world and we have the ability to win wars. We also have the ability to give other nations freedom like we are doing in the war in Iraq.
-AC
I think that the greatest asset of the U.S. is freedom. Our founding fathers started this country because they wanted to be free from England. Today we have freedom of speech, religion, as well as others. A lot of people come to America just so that they can have freedom. We should be thankful that we freedom.
-KW
I don't think there is one great quality or asset of the United States, you can search all over America and find it everywhere. And it isn't limited to the rich or the poor, or to the lawyer or the car mechanic, its everywhere. We can join together, we can usually compromise with each other, we all can forget about conflicts with each other when it comes to American crisis. We all do complain about America and the US Government one time or another, but in the end we wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The people of the US is definetly our greatest quality.
-SB
I think that the strongest quality of the U.S. is our government. Our government is set up into three brances legislative, judicial, and executive. Also no one branch is more powerful than another branch. This is becuase they have set up a system of checks and balances. If one branch sarts to get to powerful the other branches will put it back in its place. We have one of the strongest governments in the world.
~KS
What is the greatest danger or problem faced by the United States today?
I believe the greatest danger or problem in the U.S. today is not terrism or war, sure they are bad but, the greatest problem or danger today is how so many of the citizens are not supporting our President, George W. Bush. Approval rating have gone down because people do not agree with his decisions and that's fine. The problem is when people try to bring him down by complaining how terrible he is or that he is a bad individual. That will only hurt him more and could make his work as president worse. He's our president, and even if you don't agree with him, we should still support him.
-KB
I think that the greatest danger or problem that is faced by the United States today is terrorism. I think that if we don't control the problem of terrorism quickly or in the near future, we could greatly suffer. Even if we have to go to war to get rid of terrorism, I think that we should. It would be better if we could avoid war and find a different way of getting rid of terrorism though. If we don't get rid of terrorism soon, then our children and their children could suffer from terrorists. There could be many terrorist organizations that we don't know about that have connections or access to nuclear weapons or some other kind of device that could greatly hurt us.
-NR
The greatest danger we face is terrorism. There is a lot of danger from terrorism going on right now. You never know when they're going to attack, so it is a pretty scary thing. Also a problem that we have is the Iraq war.
-LB
Many people think that North Korea, the terrorists, and democrats are our biggest dangers in this country, but I think that our country's morals are our biggest danger. We have allowed gay marrige, the teaching of the Evolution Theory (it's a theory, and that's all it'll ever be) and much more. This is America's biggest danger.
~MG
The greatest danger we face as a nation is ourselves. Our problems are on the inside of our borders, not on the outside. We need to deal with the problems amoung ourselves before we will be really ready to help other nations.
-MW
I believe that the greatest problem facing the U.S. right now is that as a country we are so divided. The Republicans and the Democrats are always fighting and you can never get them to agree on something, even when it comes to our country’s safety. They won’t ‘drop’ to the other group’s level and agree with them even if it is in the best interest of our country.
~AP
I believe that the greatest problem faced by the U.S. is terrorism. There are many threats that we face due to that. But, it is good that people, such as President Bush, are trying to protect our country. I also think that another problem our country faces is our split nation. Nobody can agree on anything. People are trashing our President for things that I doubt they could fix themselves. He is doing many great things to help our country. Instead of being unified and looking at the good things that he is doing, they just trash him.
-MS
I feel that the greatest danger faced by the United States today is terrorism. There have been various accounts of threats that have gone on and other things that fall along the lines of terrorism, which is a very scary thing for our country right now. Ever since September 11, 2001 I feel that our country has been divided into the Republican side, and the Democrat side. All of the Democrats who are against George Bush's decisions to go into war have started fighting with the Republicans who support what George W. Bush is doing; this is causing turmoil in our country.
~SH
I think that the greatest problem faced by the U.S. today is terrorism. When 9/11 happened I think that we realized how great the problem of terrorism is. Many people don't agree with the War in Iraq. Would you rather fight the war over there, or on our home soil? We shouldn't somebody else's war they all say, but isn't this our war? Do you think that we should let them get away with what they did to us? I don't think so. We need to get rid of terrorism. If that means we go to war for what they did to us, then we go to war for what they did.
-ZL
The greatest danger that the U.S. is faced with today is terrorism, We are a little better secured because of what happened with 9/11 and Katrina. We suffered greatly when the hurricane hit and it devastated the U.S., same with 9/11 we know what he Terrorist can do and we should be ready for it.
-JH
I think the greatest danger that the U.S. faces today is terrorism. I know that we have other problems, but if another terrorist attack happens, our country would be in some trouble. I think that after 9/11 the U.S. has done a good job of making sure something like that doesn't happen again, but it's still possible.
-AO
I think that the greatest danger that the U.S. faces today is terrorism. I think this because when 9/11 happened I think that it really opened our eyes on how great the problem of terrorism really is. Sure, we have other problems faced in our U.S., but if we had another terrorist attack then our country would be in great danger.
-KH
I think that our greatest obstical as a country is terrorism. A lot of people don't really know how bad it is. When the occurance of 9/11 happened I was too young to really understand. Countless people have lost their lives fighting for their country because of terrorism.
-AH
I think that the greatest problem is the war in Iraq. I think that the war in Iraq is a danger because people back here at home think that the war because all they hear on the news is the bad stuff and not the good stuff and they really don't understand what were doing over there. I think that we need to stay there and that we need to finish our job there and we as a nation won't be safe until we do.
-AC
I think that the greatest danger in the U.S. today is terrorism. After 9/11 happened, I think that people really started to notice what a big problem terrorism really is. Some people don’t agree with the war over in Iraq, but I think that we should fight the war over in Iraq rather than here in the U.S. We need to stop terrorist so that they don’t do something similar to 9/11 or something worse.
-KW
Do you think that kids under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote? Why?
I don't think that kids under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote because most kids under 18 really wouldn't really understand what they're voteing for. If they do vote then they would probably just pick who they're parents picked and it really wouldn't be them voting.
-AC
No, I think kids under the age of 18 should not be allowed to vote because of the maturity level and how serious of an issue it is. I know that not everyone over 18 acts like they're over 18, but they are generally much more mature than 16 year olds. Voting should be taken seriously and I think most 18 year olds have a better grasp on that idea than most 16 year olds.
-AO
I think that people should not be allowed to vote until they are 21. 18 is to young for such a serious issue that it could hurt our country if to many of the young voters make careless decisions just because they can vote. A voter has to be 21 is another safety precaution.
~AP
No, i dont think that kids under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote. 18 year olds have a better grasp on life than 16 year olds or even younger kids. Most teenagers dont care about voting, they care about their socail life a lot more. Some 18 year olds are that way to but a lot of them are a lot more mature then 16 year olds. Voting is suppose to be taken seriously, its not a joke and shouldn't be treated like one.
~KS
No, I do not think that kids under 18 should be able to vote. I think that more of kids under 18 like a certain candidate just because their parents like that candidate. More kids that are 18 or older know more about politics and the candidates that are running for a certain position. Also, kids under 18 might not know how seriously these elections are and how they can effect our country.
-NR
I think the age of 18 is a good time to allow people to vote. I think any earlier than 18 is too early. I don't think before you are 18 you think clear enough and are involved enough in the government to make the right decision. You are not old enough to know who would be good, what kind of political party they really belong to, and they have never been on their own till around then so they dont know the problems of common people before you are 18.
-NS
No, I do not believe that kids under the age of 18 should vote. They have not learned as much about politics as someone older has. They need to have learned from past experiences and have see other politicians and laws at work so that they know what is right for our country. That's why I don't think kids under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote. -MS
I don't think that kids under 18 should be allowed to vote, because they don't understand enough about government. I think that if anyone of any age could vote things would be crazy. Laws would get passed that wouldn't normally get passed and our world would be chaotic. Kids under 18 don't know what is like to live their owm life, what it truly means to be independent.
-ZL
I think that people under the age of 18 should not be allowed to vote simply because I don’t think that they would take it seriously and fully understand and evaluate each candidate or whatever it is that they might be voting for. I don’t necessarily think that and 18 year old is very mature in the first place but I think that they would take it way more seriously than most people who are younger than that age.
~SH~
I think that teeanagers under the age of 18 should not be allowed to vote just because their maturity level is not very high and they probably would not take the voting seriously and just make a big joke out of the whole thing. If they would actually consider that they are voting for our president and for someone to serve this great nation.
~JH~
I don't think that kids under 18 should be allowed to vote. if they are under that age they are too young. they don't know enough about our country and what problems were facing as a country. they also don't have the years of experience that people older than them would have. they also probably wouldn't care as much about some issues as their parents would. I think that 18 is a good age for people to start voting.
~LB~
I don't think that teenagers under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote. Some 18 year olds shouldn't even be allowed to vote. People are usually more mature and ready to handle life's decisions at age 18. Any younger and I do not think they would be able to act responsibly enough or even care enough about what they were doing when they voted. Of course, there are always some exceptions to this, but in general 18 is a very good age for teens to beable to vote. They should be out of High School and ready to move on to college at this point in their lives and are getting ready to live on their own and experience the real world. Most kids are ready to vote at age 18 and not any younger.
-MW
No, i do not think that people under 18 should be allowed to vote. I think this because kids under the age of 18 seem to take life as a joke. They really don't care about life and they do not take it seriously. Voting is a huge responsibility, you have a say what your next President should be, and I think that requires a huge amount a responsibility. -KH
I think that people under the age of 18 should not be able to vote. Kids don't understand our government and they wouldn't take it seriously. They would know what they were voting for or why they were voting. You have to be mature enough to vote and kids under the age of 18 aren't mature enough.
-KW
What do you think of these opinions? Please say what section and whose opinion.
I think that these opinion questions are great they give us as eighth graders an opposrtunity to share our ideas and what we think about all of the stuf that is around us and how we feel on all of the the important issues in our country today. I especially like the ones that are from history and that make you apply what we have learned and put it in the answer. If you could add one amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what would it be? Why?
Opinion by AH - I totally agree with AH's opinion I think that these people really don’t know how bad alcohol and drugs are and this would really help all the alcohol and drug abuse.
I like the new amendment to the Constitution that MG wrote. I really agree with him and I think that would be a very important amendment to add to the Constitution. Good job kid!
-NR
EL's opinion in "If you could add one ammendment to the Constitution what would it be?" makes a lot of sense. We now have many people protesting the war in Iraq and that is only discouraging the soldiers. Depending on the outcome of the poll, it may not change the decision, but I think it would play an important part in making the decision. Perhaps this wouldn't apply to every situation, but surely it would help come to a conclusion.
-AH
I agree with AH's opinion also. I don't think that people need alcohol or drugs at all. They might think that they do becuase of an addiction but they really dont need it. Drugs and alcohol are really bad for you theycan and will kill you slowly over many years of abuse.
I like the amendment that ZL and KW wrote. I like it because for me being a Christian and belieing in God i would say that it would be wrong to teach anything other then that God did in fact create the word, and we have documentation of it. -KH
I think that Anna's opinion is totally awesome in that the way she wrote it and how it all turned out. I totally agree that we should add that ammendment just because it would be interesting to see what the people think about the war and see what they might have done of they had to make the decision. The ammendment probably as anna sai wouldc't change the decision but it might show how the people think and it might later or maybe never change the outcome. Who knows?
~JH~
I think that we should send more troops if President Bush thinks it neccessary. I believe that he knows what's best in that situation becuase he looks to God for guidance. It seems like Iraq is getting pretty strange lately and that things might be getting worse. This means that we might need to take more action or we might need to pull out. I don't really now, I'm not person to mkae the decision.
-ML
I, frankly, do not know enough on exactly what is going on in Iraq and what the current plan of action is to make a legitimate statement on this, I did not; however, support the US sending troops to Iraq in the first place, but now it seems as if we're stuck. If we send more troops it might continue to stir up the radical forces in Iraq instead of suppressing them, if we don't send any more troops or take any away we won't have enough to do the job we had hoped to do, and if we pull out our troops the Iraqis could fall and the radical groups could take over once again. It's a sticky situation, and I would have to say bring as many of our troops home as we can and still be able to exit Iraq safely and do our job there. I also think that we need to stand beside our government on their plans for the war as arguing and bickering will only cause disloyalty to the country and more problems overseas. More planning should have been done before we went into Iraq - we needed to have an exit strategy before we went in.
–MW
I think there are good and bad things about pulling troops out of the Middle East. Good aspects are being able to bring our troops home and not have to worry about any more deaths. Bad aspects though are that we should try to finish what we started and try to keep improving the quality of life in the Middle East. I do believe that we should not keep sending troops over there though.
~AP
My beliefs on this issue are on the Republican side. I believe that it is a good idea that we are sending troops into Iraq. Many people think that we should just quit and pull them out of Iraq because many lives are being lost. But, if you think about it, not many lives are being lost. There have only been about 3,000 deaths total in Iraq and Afghanistan. But, in other wars like World War II, that many lives were being lost per battle. I am not saying that I do not care about these lives that are being lost. I am saying that these people are doing a very great thing in trying to help our country and promote our freedom. Many people want it both ways. They want complete freedom and independence, and they don't want to have the War in Iraq. You can't have it both ways. We need to continue helping there until we are done. That is the only way for us to have freedom and be done in Iraq. I think that if there are enough people willing to be in the military and willing to fight for our rights, then it is great for us to send more troops into Iraq.
-MS
I think that we should gradually pull troops out of Iraq gradually, but not too quickly. We shouldn't send any more troops to Iraq because we don't need more troops there right now. I do know that we shouldn't pull troops out of Iraq too quickly because Iraqis and their government aren't stable yet. If we pull out too quickly, Iraq won't be much better off than they were before the U.S. came to help.
-AO
I think that the U.S. shouldn’t put all of the troops in Iraq because I don’t think we don’t need to be in there with full force. I do think that we should keep some of the troops in Iraq because without them Iraq would be in a civil war and totally falling apart. If the U.S. put all of the troops in Iraq the U.S. would be very vonerable if the terrorists were to launch a attack on the mainland and we would be sitting ducks and we would have no way to fight back because we would have no one left to help.
-JH
I think that the U.S. should pull out the troops that we have over there little by little so that Iraq can start to get used to the U.S. not being around. If we were to pull out all of our troops at once Iraq would go down hill very quickly. Were over there to help them get back on their feet. We need to stay until our job is done and if that means sending more troops over to Iraq then so be it.
~KS
I think that we should let the troops stay in Iraq and do what they need to do. I mean we think we know all the answers and exactly what to do in this situation but really we only know a small part of the situation and I think we should respect the decisions made by the president and the secretary of defense because they have studied this and know a lot about it. Bob Gates, the secretary of defense, has visited with the head military people and listened to them to see what they thought was best he was also in the Iraq study group and knows a lot from that to. So I think if those two officials think that staying in Iraq is best then lets do that. I also think that we should stay in because if we back out now the terrorist will think that they have won and we will then be prone to terrorist attacks.
– SS
I think that it is good that we are sending troops into Iraq because I think that if we pulled out the troops now, Iraq would go into a big depression and the extremists in that country would take over and they might end up right where they started. I don’t think that we should just pull out now because all of the sacrifices that those soldiers that died have made would go to waste. So basically going into Iraq in the first place would have been pointless. I think it is doing a favor to the Iraqi people right now with us being in Iraq. Even if they don’t think so, I think we are helping them in at least trying to basically rebuild their whole lives again.
-NR
I think that the U.S. should not pull the troops out of Iraq. I think this becuase i feel that it is our troops that are helping the Iraq people, by supplying them with food and clothing. I do think though that we should not send any more troops to Iraq. I feel that we have already sent enough troops over there.
~KH~
I think that we should stay in Iraq to finish what we started because if we take the troops out now then we will be hit with another terrorist attack like September 11. And if we pull out now then the Iraqis will break out into a bigger war then it already is and then we will probably have more situations like September 11th.
-AC
From all the stuff I've been hearing and such from Iraq I think we should send more troops and finish. I think we should try to finish what we started and help the Middle Easterns. Maybe it wasn't right to enter Iraq right now but any later and it could of been really bad. I do think we should leave but I think we should leave the honorable way and not having the soldiers who have died there already to have died for nothing but died for something they knew was right and can still be succesful.
-SB
I think that we should still send troops into Iraq. We should send a little in at a time. I also think that we should finish what we started. If we pull our troops out now then Iraq would just be a mess and everything would go wrong there. Part of the reason we went there and stayed there was to help them get their country together and I think we should finish doing that.
~LB
I feel that we need to finish the war in Iraq because at this point we are in there for the well being of the Iraqi people. I feel that if we were to take our troops out of Iraq it would not end up good for the people of Iraq. In this instance if you were to remember what Kirk had in his political cartoon I feel that that is what might happen. Now I don’t know for sure what would happen and from a Christian stand point I know that whatever was to happen would happen for a reason but I still think that we should leave our troops in there and finish the job. I don’t really like the idea of send more troops in necessarily but if that is what it takes for us to finish then I think that we should do so. I also think that we should all just support our government’s decisions in this time of the war.
~SH~
The situation in Iraq is a sticky one indeed. I personally think that we should not have sent any troops in the first place, but we did and there is no easy way out. I feel that we are no longer in Iraq to win, rather we are there to secure Baghdad. Sending so many more troops only puts more soldiers in danger. I think we need to finish the job, but not just for our own sake.
I am not the most knowledgeable on this subject, but I do think that it wasn't neccesary to send more troops to Iraq. I think we could have secured Baghdad as well as finish the job with what we had.
-AH
I don't think the U.S. should pull out the troops in Iraq, because a lot of soldiers have already died for the cause and if we quit now, that would mean that they died for no reason. The troops are also in there trying to make a government for the people of Iraq, and it would just fall apart with out our troops there. I don't think, however, that President Bush should send more troops into Iraq. I think that there are already enough troops there.
-KW
If you were the president during the War of 1812, what changes would you have made to help the war?
If I were the President during the War of 1812 the changes I would have made was that I wouldn't let the war happen or try even to get invovled in any war. I say this because our country was very weak at this time and they did not need to be in another war with Great Britian because we were just hurting ourselves. I would have tried to settle a peace agreement or something that would say that Britian cannot attack the U.S.
~JH~
If I were the President during the War of 1812, I would have attempted to get the people of the United States to support the war. That was a huge problem in the War of 1812 up until about 1814. I think that it was good that the U.S. went to war because the British and French were not allowing the U.S. to trade neutrally with the other country, the British were impressing the U.S. ships, and the British were supporting the Native Americans in not letting the U.S. settle on western territory, which by agreement with Britain belonged to the U.S.
-NR
If I were a President during the War of 1812 the changes that i would of made were that i would of tryed really hard not to even get involved with any war. By making this decision I think that i would of saved the country from first the death of many people, and secondly I think that i would of saved our country alot of money. Our country was very weak at the time, and we did not have that good of supplies.
-KH
If you had lived in the United States in the 1790s, which political party, the Federalists or the Republicans, would you have been more likely to join? Why?
I would be a federalist. They had really good ideas and helped our country grow. The Republicans back in the 1780's were more like present day Democrats which I do not agree with.
-KB
If I were a presedent in the 1790's I would probly be a Federalist. Because the ideas that they had were good ideas to get the country off to a good start.
-AC
I think I would be a Federalist. I believe that a strong central government is key to a healthy country. The one thing that I would disagree with about the Federalists is support of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
~AP
I would have supported the Federalists, as they supported industry, and industry was an important factor in the development and survival of our country. However, I would probably have later supported the Republicans, because of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
~MG
If I had lived during the 1790's I would have been more likely to join the Federalists because of many things. I support a strong central government, not necessarily very strong state governments or state powers. This is because I believe that we need to have a strong and powerful central government for our country to continue on as it is. I especially would have thought this during the 1790's because that was the most vulnerable time for our country and it needed to have a strong federal government in order to survive. I also support industry and, looking back into history, would have supported the northern ideas more often than the southern ideas. Also, I would support them because of their loose construction beliefs. After the Alien and Sedition Acts I would have probably started to support the Republicans more.
-MW
I would have been more likely to be a Federalist. The Federalists back then are most like the Republicans now. I believe more in what the Republicans believe today then the Democrats. I agree in an industrial economy for the U.S. I do believe that there should be a strong central government. However, I do not believe in government intervention.
-MS
I would be more likely to join the Federalists because I think that industry is the best way to make money for the nation. We shouldn't depend too heavily on agriculture because we don't know when a drought is coming or when the land might run out of nutrients. We have found ways to rotate crops to prevent this, but our whole economy shouldn't rely on agriculture. Another reason I would join the Federalists is because I believe in a stronger central government.
-AO
I would have lived in the 1970's I would most likely have been a Federalsit. I would have been a Federalsit because they believed in a strong central government. Our countrty would fall apart without the strong central government that we have today. The Federalists also believed in idustry which is a very important money maker for our country today.
~KS
If I lived in the 1790s I think I would have probably been a Federalist because industry is a very important part of our country. If our country was totally based on agriculture then if there was a major drought then the food and economy could be lost and go into a huge depression. I might have later became a Republican because of the Alien and Sedition Acts. I do like the idea of a strong central government which the Federalists believed.
-NR
If I had lived in the 1790's I would probalby be on the federalist's side. I would be on this side because I like the fact that they are based on industry. I feel that industry is the main reason of how we get all of our money today. I also like the fact that they believe in a stronger central government.
~KH~
I would probably be in the Federalist Party. I would be in there because the Federalists were more like the Republicans of today. A lot of their views were similar. Also I believe more in an industrial economy. I am a Republican now so I would have been a Federalist back then. ~LB
If I were to live in the 1790’s I would have most likely joined the Federalists. There are many reasons behind this and one big thing is that they support a strong central government. Also the Federalists of that time were more like the Republicans of this time and I am a Republican. I do not agree with the Alien and Sedition Acts however.
~SH~
If I were to live in the 1790's I would have probably joined the Federalist party. I say this because I think they have excellent ideas and the most important thing that I thought of was that they support a strong central governement. I also like that they lean more to the industrial side of the U.S. Industry was and still is a very big part of the U.S. and that is also why I lean more to the Federalists side and without industry I don't know where and how we would be like today. We would probably be a totally different nation without the industry we had back in the day.
~JH~
I would probably have been a Federalist, because I agree on most of their ideas. A strong central government is important. They support industry and so do I.
-ZL
If you could add one amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what would it be? Why?
If I could add an amendment to the Constitution, I would add one that made the nation vote before we go into a war. I think this would be a good amendment because if no one would want to support a war, why would we even go into one? However if people thought it was for a good purpose, then we would be more willing to fight.
~EL
I would add an amendment that prohibits the teachings of evolution. Why? There isn't enough information to back it up, and it is still just a theory, also a lot of what evolutionists teach takes faith to believe, which could also classify it as a religion. Religions are not allowed in school, which brings me to the question: if evolution is allowed in schools, why isn't Christianity?
~MG
If I could make an amendment to the Constitution, I wouldn’t allow Evolution to be taught in schools as fact. It should be taught so kids know what it is and they know why it isn’t real because there isn’t enough factual information to back its “theory” up. I would also allow kids to express their freedom of religion in public schools. We have the freedom of religion so it should be allowed.
-ZL
If I could make an amendment, I would make abortion illegal. It is only right if the mother's life is in danger, because two lives would be lost instead of just the baby. On the other hand, the baby's life is more important than just the mother's lifestyle.
-BU
If I could make an amendment to the constitution it would be that gay marriages should be illegal in all states. I think that marriage should be between a man and a woman not the same gender. People say its ok but it shouldn't be because than the kids of won't think that its wrong and will support it instead of fighting it.
-AC
If I could make one admendment to the constitution it would be that religion would be allowed in schools.I think that it's important that kids can pray whenever and wherever they want.
-LB
If I could make an amendment to the U.S. Constitution it would be to make abortion illegal. Unborn babies start their lives at conception and it is murder to have an abortion. Families that have abortions are more likely to have divorces and suicide. All around abortion is a bad thing for families.
~AP
If I could add an amendment to the Constitution it would be make all alcohol and drugs illegal. People don't realize what these things do. Alcohol is just as damaging as marijuana is and many people think that one is "better" or "safer" than the other. These items drive users to their deaths as well as the people around them. They also lead to emotional and physical abuse to both the users and other people.
-AH
If I could add an amendment to the constitution it would be one that made the country vote before going to war. Even if the whole country didn’t vote, just state representatives and governments, it would still give us a better idea of if war was going to be the best plan of action. In extreme cases I would include a system where if our federal government saw it absolutely necessary to go to war they could override the majority vote, but only by a majority vote in the Senate and House of Representatives and the President’s assent.
-MW
If I could add one amendment to the Constitution I would make abortion illegal. Human life starts at conception not at birth when the baby takes it first breath on its own. In our country murder is illegal and that’s exactly what abortion does it murders innocent babies. Abortion is murder and should be illegal. The only time that abortion would be ok would be if the mother’s life is at stake during the pregnancy.
~KS
If I could add one amendment to the U.S. Constitution, it would be an amendment that prohibits gay marriages. God clearly says that marriage should be between a man and a woman, not between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. Like I have heard before, God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. I personally think that is a funny saying but it is true.
-NR
If I could add one amendment to the constitution, I would make it illegal to teach evolution in schools. I think that kids should know about it, but they shouldn’t be taught that it is true. The kids should be able to decide on their own if they want to believe in evolution or not.
-KW
If I could add one amendment to the constitution I would make abortion illegal. I think that it is wrong to kill the baby. I feel that it was the parents fault and not the kids so why should they have to suffer.
~KH~
If I could add one amendment to the Constitution, it would make gay marriages illegal. The Bible clearly states that marriage is to be between one man and one woman, and what God says is the last word on all issues. This issue is an important test of our nations morals. Making gay marriage legal would not give Americans a good name throughout the rest of the world. I think that we should set a good example for some of the countries that are less stable than the U.S. (i.e. Iraq). Making gay marriage legal would not give Americans a good name.
-AO
I agree with all of the other things said, but I think that the most important amendment to be added to the Constitution would be to make abortion illegal. It is not right to kill an innocent life. Yes, the baby IS alive in its mother’s stomach. It doesn’t become alive when it comes out. It is a very terrible thing that God does not like at all. The mom made the mistake if she didn’t want to have a baby, so it should be her problem to put the baby up for adoption when it’s born. The baby shouldn’t have to suffer.
-MS
If I could add one amendment to the Constitution I would have to agree with Kelsey Hizer. I would say that Abortion should be illegal. I feel that it is not at all the baby’s fault that the parents made a bad decision and I feel that the parents should have to pay for their decision and learn to be more responsible. Also from more of a Christian standpoint we know that God made the women pregnant for a reason and for the parents of that child to try and mess up God’s plan I don’t think that is ok.
~SH~
If i could add one ammendment to the constitution it would have to be,to abolish gay marrige or anything like that. First of all it is extremely gross and i think it even gives the U.S. a bad name.
~JH~
What is the greatest asset of the United States or its greatest quality as a nation?
The Greatest quality of the US is our ability to come together as a nation in times of crises. I.E. 9/11/01 or Hurricane Katrina. Even though a lot of the time our nation seems to be divided with elections or war, we can and will join to help our fellow man.
-KB
I think that the greatest asset or quality of the United States is freedom. It is really good that we have freedom of speech and religion. Also, I think that if we were controlled by a monarch of some kind today, our nation would not be nearly as strong or as stable as it is today. I think that it is good that we can vote for who is in our government and that someone is not just "put" into office, who doesn't know what they are doing or anything about our nation.
-NR
I think that the greatest asset of the United States is our freedom. We have freedom of speech and religion. Because of this, we have a very safe and stable country. We are not ruled by a monarch or dictator. We have a very good, stable, and developed government. Changes are constantly being made to make our country the best that we can.
-MS
The greatest asset is our freedom and our say in goverment. Also we have a strong goverment, military, and economy. We are very fortunate in the United States. We have lots of things that many countries around the world do not. Also our country is safe and stable. Another thing is that we have a say in our goverment and can vote on our officials.
-LB
Freedom is our biggest asset as a nation. Without it we would be in the hands of Britian, and perhaps the world would be missing many inventions we have now. Many things would not be possible today without our freedom.
~MG
I think that one of the greatest assets of the United States is the system of checks and balances. The government of the United States is unique and with this system, no part of the government can be greater than the others, or make really bad decisions that no one in the country will like, because one part of the government will have to agree with another to get something done.
I think that another good quality of the United States was the founding fathers’ ability to compromise. Without it, no one in the United States would agree with any aspect of the government. There is still disagreement today, but with the compromises, they found ways to have the government so that everyone could have part of what they wanted.
-BU
The greatest asset that our country has, in my opinion, is our freedom of speech. Our freedom of speech has allowed us to maintain a system of government in which the citizens have just as many rights as everybody else. We get to elect ordinary people into offices of power so they will be able to serve us as a nation. This unique system gives us an advantage over most other governments.
-MW
The greatest asset of the U.S. is our freedom. It is the best thing that any nation could want. We also have a strong army for keeping us safe from all of the terrorists in the world. We also have freedom of religon. In most countries you can get excluded from society because of the things you may or may not believe. In the U.S. you can believe anything you want and that in itself is pretty amazing.
-JH
I believe our greatest asset is the way our government works. We can elect the people that we want to represent us to positions of power so that we can get our needs heard in our government. Our freedom of speech is helpful for us in keeping a strong government, even if there is a lot of internal disagreement.
~AP
In my opinion, the greatest asset of the United States in freedom. The reason that I feel the way I do about this is because, as a christian, I need freedom of religon so I can learn more about Christ and so I can spread His word. Also, it is a great thing to have freedom of speech so we can have a say in our government and we can vote for the things that we feel will have a good impact on our nation.
~SH~
I think that our greatest asset as a country is freedom. Freedom branches off in many directions. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, as well as many others. My life as an individual would be entirely different if we didn't have freedom. I wouldn't be at this school and I might have had a different religion. We are a very diverse country, not only in people, but also in opinion and beliefs.
-AH
I think that our greatest asset as a country is our strong government. The founding fathers at the Constitutional Convention did a really good job of making sure that no one person could take over the whole country. The United States' system of checks and balances was a really good idea. I don't think that our country would be as strong today if it weren't for the checks and balances.
-AO
I think that the greatest asset of the U.S. is freedom. Freedom is the reason our country started. Our founding fathers didn’t like being controlled by someone else and not having anything to say about it. Today we have freedom speech, religion, and etc. Back then we had to do whatever the King or Parliament wanted. Many people come to the U.S. to have that freedom. People come here illegally, because they want freedom so bad. We are very lucky for what we have.
-ZL
I think that the greatest asset of the U.S. is our strong government. Our founding fathers did a really good job to make sure that no one branch of the government was more powerful then the other. The idea of having a checks and balances system, to make sure that all of the branches are doing their job, I think was a really good idea. I think that if we didn't have a strong government, our country would not be as strong as it is today.
-KH
I think that the greatest asset of the U.S. is the strong military. Our military has fought many wars and is the greatest military of the world and we have the ability to win wars. We also have the ability to give other nations freedom like we are doing in the war in Iraq.
-AC
I think that the greatest asset of the U.S. is freedom. Our founding fathers started this country because they wanted to be free from England. Today we have freedom of speech, religion, as well as others. A lot of people come to America just so that they can have freedom. We should be thankful that we freedom.
-KW
I don't think there is one great quality or asset of the United States, you can search all over America and find it everywhere. And it isn't limited to the rich or the poor, or to the lawyer or the car mechanic, its everywhere. We can join together, we can usually compromise with each other, we all can forget about conflicts with each other when it comes to American crisis. We all do complain about America and the US Government one time or another, but in the end we wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The people of the US is definetly our greatest quality.
-SB
I think that the strongest quality of the U.S. is our government. Our government is set up into three brances legislative, judicial, and executive. Also no one branch is more powerful than another branch. This is becuase they have set up a system of checks and balances. If one branch sarts to get to powerful the other branches will put it back in its place. We have one of the strongest governments in the world.
~KS
What is the greatest danger or problem faced by the United States today?
I believe the greatest danger or problem in the U.S. today is not terrism or war, sure they are bad but, the greatest problem or danger today is how so many of the citizens are not supporting our President, George W. Bush. Approval rating have gone down because people do not agree with his decisions and that's fine. The problem is when people try to bring him down by complaining how terrible he is or that he is a bad individual. That will only hurt him more and could make his work as president worse. He's our president, and even if you don't agree with him, we should still support him.
-KB
I think that the greatest danger or problem that is faced by the United States today is terrorism. I think that if we don't control the problem of terrorism quickly or in the near future, we could greatly suffer. Even if we have to go to war to get rid of terrorism, I think that we should. It would be better if we could avoid war and find a different way of getting rid of terrorism though. If we don't get rid of terrorism soon, then our children and their children could suffer from terrorists. There could be many terrorist organizations that we don't know about that have connections or access to nuclear weapons or some other kind of device that could greatly hurt us.
-NR
The greatest danger we face is terrorism. There is a lot of danger from terrorism going on right now. You never know when they're going to attack, so it is a pretty scary thing. Also a problem that we have is the Iraq war.
-LB
Many people think that North Korea, the terrorists, and democrats are our biggest dangers in this country, but I think that our country's morals are our biggest danger. We have allowed gay marrige, the teaching of the Evolution Theory (it's a theory, and that's all it'll ever be) and much more. This is America's biggest danger.
~MG
The greatest danger we face as a nation is ourselves. Our problems are on the inside of our borders, not on the outside. We need to deal with the problems amoung ourselves before we will be really ready to help other nations.
-MW
I believe that the greatest problem facing the U.S. right now is that as a country we are so divided. The Republicans and the Democrats are always fighting and you can never get them to agree on something, even when it comes to our country’s safety. They won’t ‘drop’ to the other group’s level and agree with them even if it is in the best interest of our country.
~AP
I believe that the greatest problem faced by the U.S. is terrorism. There are many threats that we face due to that. But, it is good that people, such as President Bush, are trying to protect our country. I also think that another problem our country faces is our split nation. Nobody can agree on anything. People are trashing our President for things that I doubt they could fix themselves. He is doing many great things to help our country. Instead of being unified and looking at the good things that he is doing, they just trash him.
-MS
I feel that the greatest danger faced by the United States today is terrorism. There have been various accounts of threats that have gone on and other things that fall along the lines of terrorism, which is a very scary thing for our country right now. Ever since September 11, 2001 I feel that our country has been divided into the Republican side, and the Democrat side. All of the Democrats who are against George Bush's decisions to go into war have started fighting with the Republicans who support what George W. Bush is doing; this is causing turmoil in our country.
~SH
I think that the greatest problem faced by the U.S. today is terrorism. When 9/11 happened I think that we realized how great the problem of terrorism is. Many people don't agree with the War in Iraq. Would you rather fight the war over there, or on our home soil? We shouldn't somebody else's war they all say, but isn't this our war? Do you think that we should let them get away with what they did to us? I don't think so. We need to get rid of terrorism. If that means we go to war for what they did to us, then we go to war for what they did.
-ZL
The greatest danger that the U.S. is faced with today is terrorism, We are a little better secured because of what happened with 9/11 and Katrina. We suffered greatly when the hurricane hit and it devastated the U.S., same with 9/11 we know what he Terrorist can do and we should be ready for it.
-JH
I think the greatest danger that the U.S. faces today is terrorism. I know that we have other problems, but if another terrorist attack happens, our country would be in some trouble. I think that after 9/11 the U.S. has done a good job of making sure something like that doesn't happen again, but it's still possible.
-AO
I think that the greatest danger that the U.S. faces today is terrorism. I think this because when 9/11 happened I think that it really opened our eyes on how great the problem of terrorism really is. Sure, we have other problems faced in our U.S., but if we had another terrorist attack then our country would be in great danger.
-KH
I think that our greatest obstical as a country is terrorism. A lot of people don't really know how bad it is. When the occurance of 9/11 happened I was too young to really understand. Countless people have lost their lives fighting for their country because of terrorism.
-AH
I think that the greatest problem is the war in Iraq. I think that the war in Iraq is a danger because people back here at home think that the war because all they hear on the news is the bad stuff and not the good stuff and they really don't understand what were doing over there. I think that we need to stay there and that we need to finish our job there and we as a nation won't be safe until we do.
-AC
I think that the greatest danger in the U.S. today is terrorism. After 9/11 happened, I think that people really started to notice what a big problem terrorism really is. Some people don’t agree with the war over in Iraq, but I think that we should fight the war over in Iraq rather than here in the U.S. We need to stop terrorist so that they don’t do something similar to 9/11 or something worse.
-KW
Do you think that kids under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote? Why?
I don't think that kids under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote because most kids under 18 really wouldn't really understand what they're voteing for. If they do vote then they would probably just pick who they're parents picked and it really wouldn't be them voting.
-AC
No, I think kids under the age of 18 should not be allowed to vote because of the maturity level and how serious of an issue it is. I know that not everyone over 18 acts like they're over 18, but they are generally much more mature than 16 year olds. Voting should be taken seriously and I think most 18 year olds have a better grasp on that idea than most 16 year olds.
-AO
I think that people should not be allowed to vote until they are 21. 18 is to young for such a serious issue that it could hurt our country if to many of the young voters make careless decisions just because they can vote. A voter has to be 21 is another safety precaution.
~AP
No, i dont think that kids under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote. 18 year olds have a better grasp on life than 16 year olds or even younger kids. Most teenagers dont care about voting, they care about their socail life a lot more. Some 18 year olds are that way to but a lot of them are a lot more mature then 16 year olds. Voting is suppose to be taken seriously, its not a joke and shouldn't be treated like one.
~KS
No, I do not think that kids under 18 should be able to vote. I think that more of kids under 18 like a certain candidate just because their parents like that candidate. More kids that are 18 or older know more about politics and the candidates that are running for a certain position. Also, kids under 18 might not know how seriously these elections are and how they can effect our country.
-NR
I think the age of 18 is a good time to allow people to vote. I think any earlier than 18 is too early. I don't think before you are 18 you think clear enough and are involved enough in the government to make the right decision. You are not old enough to know who would be good, what kind of political party they really belong to, and they have never been on their own till around then so they dont know the problems of common people before you are 18.
-NS
No, I do not believe that kids under the age of 18 should vote. They have not learned as much about politics as someone older has. They need to have learned from past experiences and have see other politicians and laws at work so that they know what is right for our country. That's why I don't think kids under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote. -MS
I don't think that kids under 18 should be allowed to vote, because they don't understand enough about government. I think that if anyone of any age could vote things would be crazy. Laws would get passed that wouldn't normally get passed and our world would be chaotic. Kids under 18 don't know what is like to live their owm life, what it truly means to be independent.
-ZL
I think that people under the age of 18 should not be allowed to vote simply because I don’t think that they would take it seriously and fully understand and evaluate each candidate or whatever it is that they might be voting for. I don’t necessarily think that and 18 year old is very mature in the first place but I think that they would take it way more seriously than most people who are younger than that age.
~SH~
I think that teeanagers under the age of 18 should not be allowed to vote just because their maturity level is not very high and they probably would not take the voting seriously and just make a big joke out of the whole thing. If they would actually consider that they are voting for our president and for someone to serve this great nation.
~JH~
I don't think that kids under 18 should be allowed to vote. if they are under that age they are too young. they don't know enough about our country and what problems were facing as a country. they also don't have the years of experience that people older than them would have. they also probably wouldn't care as much about some issues as their parents would. I think that 18 is a good age for people to start voting.
~LB~
I don't think that teenagers under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote. Some 18 year olds shouldn't even be allowed to vote. People are usually more mature and ready to handle life's decisions at age 18. Any younger and I do not think they would be able to act responsibly enough or even care enough about what they were doing when they voted. Of course, there are always some exceptions to this, but in general 18 is a very good age for teens to beable to vote. They should be out of High School and ready to move on to college at this point in their lives and are getting ready to live on their own and experience the real world. Most kids are ready to vote at age 18 and not any younger.
-MW
No, i do not think that people under 18 should be allowed to vote. I think this because kids under the age of 18 seem to take life as a joke. They really don't care about life and they do not take it seriously. Voting is a huge responsibility, you have a say what your next President should be, and I think that requires a huge amount a responsibility. -KH
I think that people under the age of 18 should not be able to vote. Kids don't understand our government and they wouldn't take it seriously. They would know what they were voting for or why they were voting. You have to be mature enough to vote and kids under the age of 18 aren't mature enough.
-KW
What do you think of these opinions? Please say what section and whose opinion.
I think that these opinion questions are great they give us as eighth graders an opposrtunity to share our ideas and what we think about all of the stuf that is around us and how we feel on all of the the important issues in our country today. I especially like the ones that are from history and that make you apply what we have learned and put it in the answer.
If you could add one amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what would it be? Why?
Opinion by AH - I totally agree with AH's opinion I think that these people really don’t know how bad alcohol and drugs are and this would really help all the alcohol and drug abuse.
I like the new amendment to the Constitution that MG wrote. I really agree with him and I think that would be a very important amendment to add to the Constitution. Good job kid!
-NR
EL's opinion in "If you could add one ammendment to the Constitution what would it be?" makes a lot of sense. We now have many people protesting the war in Iraq and that is only discouraging the soldiers. Depending on the outcome of the poll, it may not change the decision, but I think it would play an important part in making the decision. Perhaps this wouldn't apply to every situation, but surely it would help come to a conclusion.
-AH
I agree with AH's opinion also. I don't think that people need alcohol or drugs at all. They might think that they do becuase of an addiction but they really dont need it. Drugs and alcohol are really bad for you theycan and will kill you slowly over many years of abuse.
I like the amendment that ZL and KW wrote. I like it because for me being a Christian and belieing in God i would say that it would be wrong to teach anything other then that God did in fact create the word, and we have documentation of it. -KH
I think that Anna's opinion is totally awesome in that the way she wrote it and how it all turned out. I totally agree that we should add that ammendment just because it would be interesting to see what the people think about the war and see what they might have done of they had to make the decision. The ammendment probably as anna sai wouldc't change the decision but it might show how the people think and it might later or maybe never change the outcome. Who knows?
~JH~